Intensifier



v c, J. BROSNAN.

INIENSIFIER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 111920.-

1,382,338. atented June 21, 1921.

WITNESS:

, INVENTOR. .7 BY y, 4 a;

ATTORNEY.

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CORNELIUS J. BRGSIIAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETT$.

INTENS IFIER.

Application filed July 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ConNnLrUs J. Bnos- NAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county ofHampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulIntensifier, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric intensifiers orspark-gap devices which are attachable to sparlcplugs, and consistsessentially of a perforated clip, a screw-threaded member attached tosaid clip but insulated therefrom, and provided with binding means forthe conductor which brings the electric current to the spark-plug withwhich the intensifier is associated, and means to confine the sparkproduced with the aid of this device so that such spark cannot escapeinto the inclosing hood for the.

engine which has said spark-plug mounted thereon or therein, togetherwith such other parts and members as may be necessary or desirable inorder to render the device complete, all as hereinafter set forth.

It is a fact well known to those skilled in the art that the intensityof the spark produced when a curr nt of electricity is passed through aspark-plug is materially increased by forming in the circuit back ofsuch spark-plug a spark-gap, and the primary object of my invention istoprovide such a spark-gap, and to utilize as one of the spark-gap formingmembers a clip such as is commonly used to connect the conductor or wirefrom the source of electrical energy with the spark-plug. By thusutilizing the clip I am able to produce an intensifier which is verysimple in construction, convenient, and comparatively inexpensive. Theefiiciency of the clip is in no wise decreased when the same is utilizedas an element in my intensifier, inasmuch as it can without difiic'ultybe connected with the conductor and attached to the spark plug. 7

A further object is to provide an intensificer which is safe, inasmuchas the spark produced thereby cannot escape therefrom into the enginehood.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of thefollowingdescription.

I attain the objects and secure the advan tages of my inventlon by themeans illus trated. in, the accompanying drawings, in whichSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 393,248.

Figure l is a side elevation of an intensiher which embodies a practicalform of my invention, showing the same connected with a spark-plug, theupper portion only of whlch appears, however, as being sufiicient torthe present purpose; Fig. 2, a central, vertical section through saidintensifier; F 1g. 3, a top, plan of the clip, and, Fig. at a top planof the lowermost insulating men1- ber of the devlce.

bnnilar reference characters designate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the first view is illustrated the upper portion of a spark-plug, suchportion consisting of the upper terminal of a porcelain 1, thecorresponding portion of a central electrode 2, a pair or" nuts 3mounted on said electrode above said porcelain, and a cap 4 betweenwhich latter and the upper nut 3 is received the conductor for theelectric current which supplies the spark-plug. Said conductor, or thatpart of the same-directly involved in this invention, in the presentcase, and in very many cases, consists of a metallic clip, as 5. r I

The clip 5 may vary more or less in con struction, so long as it isadapted to be con ne'cted with the spark-plug, and to enter asan elementinto the structure of my intensifier. In the present case the clip 5 has1n one terminal thereof an opening 6 to receive the upper end of theelectrode 2, when the cap 4 is removed from said electrode, and anopening 7 in the other terminal. The clip'5 is attached to thespark-plug by placing it on the upper nut 3, with the central electrode2 in the opening 6, while the cap 4 is dis onnected from said electrode,and then replacing said can on said electrode and screwing the same downtightly on top of said clip. A good electrical contact is thus formedbetween said clip and electrode.

In addition to the clip 5, the intensifier consists, in its presentembodiment, of a screw 6 positioned with its head clownward; a metallicwasher 9 on said screw above said head; a perforated disk 10 ofinsulating material also on said screw and between said washer and theunder-side of said clip, which latter is placed in position after saiddisk is placed in position, the opening 7 in said clip permitting thisto be done; a thin disk or washer 11 ofinsulating material on said screwabove said clip; a hollow, cylindrical member 12 of glass or pthersuitable insulating mammal (prefers ably the former) on said last-namedwasher, said member surrounding the adjacent portion of said screw andforming an insulating cage for the sparks; a metallic washer orperforated disk 13 having on the under side a washer or perforated disk14L of insulating material, these parts also belng mounted on the screwand said disk lat hearing on top of said member or cage 12; a nut 15threaded to the screw above said disk 13; and abinding nut 16 threadedto the screw above said. first-named nut. A conductor or wire, which isrepresented at l? in l, is received between the nuts 15 and J8, and heldsecurely therebetween when said nut 16 is tightened on said wire, sothat a good and suflicient electrical connection is insured between saidwire and the screw 8.

The diameter of the opening 7 in the clip 5 is considerably larger thanthe diamete. of the-screw 8, ans the disk 10 has on the upper sidethereof a periorated boss or hub 18 which enters said opening and fillsthe whole or a part of the space between the edges thereof and theadjacent sides of said screw. Thus it is seen that the current, passingthrough the wire 17 to and through the screw on its way to the clip 5,is interrupted by reason of the fact that said screwis entirelyinsulated from the clip 5 by the insulating members 10, 11., 12 and 14,the distance between the screw 8 and the edges of the opening '7 in saidclip, however, is not so great as to prevent the current from jumping orsparking across the gap, when it continues on through said clip to thecentral electrode 2 of the sparkplug. In spanning the gap, of whichmention has just een made, to complete the circuit, the current forms aspark and this tends greatly to intensify the spark 'iorincd or producedat the lower or inner end of the spark-plug, as hereinbefore stated orintimated. I

The dish 10 with its hub id is of sufficient thickness to prevent anypossibility of the spark escaping therethrough in a downward direction,and should the spark escape upwardly through the washer 11, as isusually the case, it is received in the cage 12 and confined therein andthus prevented from coming into contact with anysurrounding gases whichmight be inflammable or com bustible. T he primary object of the washer11 is toprovide a cushion or seat for the bottom of the cage 12. c

The parts and members confined between the head of the screw 8 andthenut 15 are tightly and securely held together by means ofsald nutwhen the latter is screwed down into place. If it be desired for anyreason to disassemble the intensifier, it can be easily 15 andseparating the parts below from each other and said screw.

In practice, the intensifier, after being first connected with the wireor conductor, may be and is attached to and detached from the spark-plugat will, all in the vmanner hereinbefore described in detail.

When the cage 12 is made of glass the spark can be seen therein, So thatmeans is thus afforded for ascertaining at all times whether or not theintensifier is functioning satisfactorily.

More or less change may be made in the shape, size, construction, andarrangement of some or all of the parts of this device without departingfrom the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of what isclaimed- 7 7 What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. An intensifier comprising a metallic clip which is adapted to beattached to a spark-plug, a screw-threaded memberextending through saidclip and provided with attaching means for a conductor, and means toattach said member to said clip, and to insulate the same therefrom sothat a sparkgap is formed between said member and said clip. 7

2. The combination, in an intensifier, with a perforated metallic clipadapted to be connected with a spark-plug, of a screw passing throughthe perforation in said clip and provided with means for attachmentthereto of a conductor, the arrangement being such that a spark-gap isformed between said clip and said screw, an insulator located on saidscrew on one side of said clip, and insulating means located on andsurrounding said screw on the other side of said clip, said insulatorand insulating means, with said clip, being confined between the head ofsaid screw and said conductor-attaching means.

3. The combination, in an intensifier, with a perforated metallic clipadapted to be connected with a spark-plug, of a screw passing throughthe perforation in said clip, and provided with means for attachmentthereto of a conductor, an insulator located on said screw on one sideof said clip, and having a thickened part to enter said perforation, andinsulating means located on said screw on the other side of said clip,whereby said screw is insulated from said clip and a spark-gap is formedtherebetween, saidinsulator and insulating means with the clip, beingconfined between the head of said screw and said conductor-attachingmeans.

.4. An intensifier comprising a metallic clip which is adapted to beattached to a spark-plug, a screw-threaded member extending through saidclip and provided with attaching means for a conductor, and means toattach said screw to said clip, and to insulate the same therefrom sothat a sparkgap is formed between said member and said clip, saidattaching and insulating means consisting in part oi a cage.

5. The combination, in an intensifier, with a perforated metallic clipadapted to be connected with a spark-plug, of a screw passing throughthe perforation in said clip, and provided with attaching means for acon ductor, the arrangement being such that a spark-gap is formedbetween said clip and said screw, a metallic washer and an insulatingdisk mounted on said screw on one side of said clip, a cage mounted onthe other side of said clip and su rounding the adjacent portion or"said screw, an insulating washer interposed between said cage at one endand said last-named side of said clip, and an insulating disk over theother end of said cage, said insulating disks, cage, and clip beingconfined between the head of said screw and said conductor-attachingmeans.

6. The combination, in an intensifier, with a perforated metallic clipadapted to be connected with a spark-plug, of a screw passing throughthe perforation in said clip, and provided with means for attachmentthereto of a conductor, the arrangement being such that a spark-gap isformed between said clip and said screw, an insulator located on saidscrew on one side of said clip, and insulating means located on andsurrounding said screw on the other side of said clip, said meansconsisting in part of a cage, and said insulator and insulating means,including said cage, and with the clip, being confined between the headof the screw and said conductor-attaching means.

CORNELIUS J. BROSNAN, Witnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS.

